Sassafras albidum vs laurel

Sassafras albidum and laurel both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
Sassafras albidum	Yes	No	No	No
laurel	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, laurel is a hypernym of Sassafras albidum; that is, laurel is a word with a broader meaning than Sassafras albidum:

Sassafras albidum: yellowwood tree with brittle wood and aromatic leaves and bark; source of sassafras oil; widely distributed in eastern North America
laurel: any of various aromatic trees of the laurel family

Sassafras albidum (noun)	laurel (noun)
yellowwood tree with brittle wood and aromatic leaves and bark; source of sassafras oil; widely distributed in eastern North America	(antiquity) a wreath of laurel foliage worn on the head as an emblem of victory
	any of various aromatic trees of the laurel family